2009 Acura Tl: Problems & Reliability
SOLID2009 Acura TL: SOLID — 42 owner complaints, a typical complaint rate for ~17 years on the road.
CarWhere's verdict score for the 2009 is 0.78, where 1.00 is a typical TL year once complaints are weighted for severity and spread over time on the road, between the best line (0.75) and caution (1.25). Most complaints are about non-critical systems; only 29% are severe (crash, fire, injury or a safety-critical system).
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints (ODI), recall campaigns and manufacturer service bulletins, CarWhere verified buyer prices · Model years 2005–2014 compared · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · Methodology
42
NHTSA complaints
0.78
Verdict score (1.00 = typical TL year)
89
Service bulletins
3
Recall campaigns
2009 Acura TL recalls
3 recall campaigns on federal record for the 2009; the campaign list is on NHTSA's record for the 2009 Acura TL.
2009 Acura TL service bulletins
The manufacturer has filed 89 technical service bulletins with NHTSA for the 2009 — close to the 86 of the median TL year from 2005 to 2014. Coded bulletins most often cover air bags (32), engine (16), engine & cooling (12). Bulletins are repair instructions for dealer technicians, not recalls.
The 2009 vs. the year before and after
From the 2008 to the 2009, owner complaints fell by more than half (124 → 42) — an improvement. The 2010 that followed rose 52% (42 → 64), so the 2009 is the cleaner of the two by count.
| Model year | Verdict | Complaints | Bulletins | Recalls | Avg. buyer-paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 TL | AVOID | 124 | 33 | 4 | — |
| 2009 (this page) | SOLID | 42 | 89 | 3 | — |
| 2010 TL | SOLID | 64 | 93 | 3 | — |
Prices are averages of CarWhere verified buyer transactions (shown when 3+ deals exist for the year). Full year-by-year table: Acura TL years to avoid.
Nearby TL years with a better rating: 2011.
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FAQ
Is the 2009 Acura TL reliable?
2009 Acura TL: SOLID — 42 owner complaints, a typical complaint rate for ~17 years on the road. CarWhere's verdict score for the 2009 is 0.78, where 1.00 is a typical TL year once complaints are weighted for severity and spread over time on the road, between the best line (0.75) and caution (1.25).
What are the most common 2009 Acura TL problems?
The 2009 Acura TL has 42 NHTSA owner complaints and 89 manufacturer service bulletins on file; the component breakdown is on NHTSA's record for this model year.
How many recalls does the 2009 Acura TL have?
3 recall campaigns on federal record for the 2009 Acura TL. Recall completion is VIN-specific, so check the exact car.
How do I check a specific 2009 Acura Tl before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for the exact VIN — recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for this model year, the original window sticker where the manufacturer publishes one, and a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Sources & method
Complaint, recall and service-bulletin counts for the 2009 Acura TL come from NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation; the verdict is CarWhere’s severity-weighted, time-on-road-adjusted score compared with the model’s own median year. The live complaint feed was unavailable at render, so the complaint count is the verdict engine’s stored count. Complaints are owner allegations, not verified defects. Full methodology.